It was declared the most-played game of 2011 by gaming social network Rapt, even despite its late release in the year. It also won game of the year at the Game Developers Choice Awards. Many gamers consider it by far the best installment in the Elder Scrolls franchise, including PCMag analyst Matthew Murray, who calls it "the most detailed, immersive, and engrossing yet." So with such breathtaking graphics and expansions that keep players hooked, why add mods?

Aside from the Skyrim mods that are unofficial patches that fix bugs and glitches, there's the lure that the game's creator Bethesda Softworks provides by offering extensive tools and documentation, helping mod makers.

Since Skyrim is a sandbox game, the possibilities for new content are endless. Developers have made mods where users can adjust and enhance the graphics of the game. Others have created mods that help players adjust settings for followers, horses, spells, and even homes. Some developers have a sense of humor, creating mods in which users can obtain weapons from Lord of the Rings, install players from Minecraft, or swap out dragons for a My Little Pony.

Bethesda recently released the Dragonborn expansion for PC and Xbox 360 users. (PlayStation 3 gamers shouldn't feel left out; their version will be out on February 12.) Given the new release, we decided to take a look at a few fun mods to further enhance the Skyrim experience. In the gallery below, you'll find mods that are extremely useful for gameplay plus a few that add a little more fun to the Skyrim experience.